Rainmakers Host
Dr David Court
David is the founder of Compton School and co-founder of Wizer. He is also Chair of Screen Canberra. He was previously Head of Screen Business at the Australian Film Television & Radio School, where he led the highly regarded Masters of Screen Arts & Business program.
He has been involved in the financing of more than a dozen film and television productions including Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom, Dean Cavell’s The Wiggles Movie and Andrew Horne’s The Animated Leunig. As author of Film Assistance: Future Options (Allen & Unwin, 1986), he was policy architect of the Film Finance Corporation established by the Australian Government in 1988. David holds a PhD from the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University.
Mentors
Helen Bowden
Helen is Managing Director of Lingo Pictures, where she has recently delivered Erotic Stories, an anthology series for SBS and ITV Studios which was AACTA and Logie nominated in 2024; Queen of Oz, a comedy series starring Catherine Tate (Doctor Who) for BBC1 and Fifth Season; and After the Party, a thrilling drama starring Robyn Malcolm (Far North) for TVNZ, the ABC and ITV Studios which was selected for Series Mania 2024 and was named ‘The Best TV Show Ever Made in New Zealand’ by cultural outlet The Spinoff.
Helen has produced two seasons of The Secrets She Keeps, starring Laura Carmichael and Jessica De Gouw, which played on BBC1 in primetime and sold to major players in almost every territory worldwide.
Helen has twice received the Logie and the AACTA for Best Mini-Series in the same year – for The Slap in 2010 and for Devil’s Playground in 2015. Prior to forming Lingo, Helen was a founder and the founding Managing Director of Matchbox Pictures, which sold to NBC Universal in 2014.
Chloe Rickard
Chloe is Partner, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Producer at Jungle Entertainment. She has been integral to the company’s growth, innovation and success. Her Executive Producer credits include Population 11 (Stan), Wakefield (ABC/BBC Studios), Bad Mothers (Nine Network/Sundance Now), Squinters (ABC) and Soul Mates (ABC/SeeSo).
She produced No Activity (Stan Australia), The Moodys and its sequel A Moody Christmas (ABC/BBC2/Hulu), Sando (ABC), Here Come the Habibs (Nine Network), Elegant Gentlemen’s Guide to Knife Fighting (ABC), and over 150 television commercials and music videos.
Chloe gained her Masters of Screen Arts & Business from AFTRS, in which she was awarded the Foxtel New Media Innovation Prize and the Wake In Fright Prize for the best thesis. Chloe is the Chair of the Screen Tasmania Advisory Board (STEAG).
Rachel Antony
Rachel has three decades’ experience in screen development, promotion and production. Armed with a journalism degree from AUT, she began her career as a publicist for Entertainment & Comedy at BBC-TV in London, then moved into documentary research back in NZ. She began producing at Greenstone TV with the first series of Coast Watch and later established Greenstone’s first Australian production office, making Crash Investigation Unit for Channel 7 in Sydney.
During her four years in Australia she also worked for Freemantle Media; in-house at Channel 7; produced an award-winning short film; and graduated from AFTRS’ Screen Business programme. Excited by the potential of digital audience engagement, Rachel returned to New Zealand in 2011 as COO for an online self-publishing start-up, before rejoining Greenstone, as Head of Production & Development, and moving into the CEO role in 2017.
Greenstone’s latest projects include the globally successful Border Patrol (now in production for Series 15); enduring audience favourite Motorway Patrol; My Life Is Murder with Lucy Lawless; and the just-launched musical comedy Happiness.
Matthew Liebmann
Matthew is Chief Product, Innovation and Marketing Officer at Vista Group. Prior to his Group role, Matthew joinedMovio in 2014 in LA to expand Movio’s presence in the Americas. He relocated to Auckland in 2019 to become Movio’s Chief Operating Officer, accountable for operational performance and profitability.
Before joining Movio, Matthew held senior positions at leading cinema exhibitors in Australia and New Zealand, was a consultant to the entertainment and media sector for PwC, and served two terms on the Board of Screen Australia.
Katie Shortland
Katie has run business affairs and legal departments of independent production companies across ANZ region for more than 15 years including at The Wiggles, Flying Bark Productions and then as the Head of Business Affairs & Strategy at theCJZ Group for 15 years which included development for Australia, New Zealand and Middle East. In 2024 she moved to Melbourne to take up the new role of Commercial Director for Princess Pictures.
She has worked across all genres of film & TV and financed and negotiated the gamut of deals including US studio production deals, tri-party coproduction agreements, master licensing agreements, licence agreements for every territory in the world, format licence agreements and talent development agreements.
Katie is deeply committed to supporting original content from early development, through production and the extensive life of distribution both locally and internationally. An award winning short film producer in her former life, she appreciates the nuance of the creative process, whilst simultaneously understanding and valuing ‘the business of business’. She is also co-owner of noodle bar RaRa Ramen.
Tom Hern
Tom is co-founder of Tavake. Tom loves unique human beings and their stories. He also loves music, food, and psychology. He broke into the international indie film scene as the sole producer on chess drama, The Dark Horse, a critic’s darling (98% on Rotten Tomatoes) and international award-winner (over 20 prizes – including Audience Prizes at the Rotterdam, Seattle and San Francisco International Film Festivals). Variety said, “it’s the raw tone…and revealing performances that allow “The Dark Horse” to hustle its way into our hearts…the most deserving cinematic export to emerge from New Zealand in years.” Hern was the lead producer on Shadow in the Cloud, which won the TIFF Midnight Madness Award and has grossed over $10M in US VOD box office and produced Guns Akimbo (starring Daniel Radcliffe).
After years of creative producing features, in 2020, Hern made the natural move into writing, directing and showrunning his own projects. Alongside biz partner, Halaifonua Finau, Hern co-created and show-ran Tavake’s drama series, The Panthers (about the Polynesian Panthers political movement in the ‘70s), on which Hern also acted as a director. The Panthers premiered at TIFF, broke streaming records in its home territory and won a slew of Awards. Recently, Hern directed a docu-series in Joshua Tree California, Desert Hikoi, for TVNZ and acted as non-writing showrunner on Tavake’s latest scripted series, Madam (starring Rachael Griffiths and Martin Henderson), set within the legalised sex work industry in New Zealand.
Paul Wiegard
Paul Wiegard is the Co-Founder and CEO of Madman Entertainment, one of Australasia’s leading independent film distribution and rights management companies. Under his leadership, Madman has released over 35 Oscar®-nominated films, including Parasite, Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest, The Substance, and Searching for Sugar Man.
Paul has Executive Produced more than 50 feature films and documentaries, among them Pike River, Mountain, The Australian Dream, High Ground, That Sugar Film, The Giants, Girls Can’t Surf, and the forthcoming Crowded House feature documentary.
In 2016, he launched DocPlay, a dedicated streaming platform curating the world’s most compelling and thought-provoking documentaries.
Paul is also a partner in the Curzon-Cinéart-Madman (CCM) Development Fund, a collaboration with Curzon Film World (UK) and Cinéart Nederland (Benelux), focused on director-led international projects.
A graduate of the AFTRS Master of Screen Arts and Business, Paul is deeply engaged in the screen industry. He served for a decade as President of the Australian Independent Distributors Association (AIDA) and is currently Co-Chair of the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC). He also sits on the Boards of both the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and Screenrights.
Tony Ayres
Tony Ayres is an award-winning Australian showrunner, writer and director, and one of the founding members of Matchbox Pictures. In 2018 Tony established his own production company Tony Ayres Productions (TAP), developing and producing feature films and television for global audiences and international marketplaces.
Overall, Tony’s feature films and TV shows have been nominated for over one hundred Australian and international awards, and has won over sixty of these awards including an International Emmy, a BAFTA, a Golden Horse (the Asian Oscars), six AACTA awards, and six Logies.
Most recently, Tony was Executive Producer, Showrunner and writer on Netflix series The Survivors, and an Executive Producer on two seasons of ABC/BBC children’s series The Spooky Files. Previously, Tony was the creator/showrunner on The Slap, Nowhere Boys and global number one Netflix hit, Clickbait. He co-created and was an Executive Producer on Glitch, Stateless, and Fires. He has Executive produced acclaimed shows such as Barracuda, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Wanted, Creamerie, The Devil’s Playground, Old School, Underground: The Julian Assange Story, The Straits, and The Family Law.
In feature films, Tony directed Cut Snake (2015), The Home Song Stories (2007), and Walking on Water (2002). He has also executive produced award winning feature films such as Ali’s Wedding and Lou. His films have premiered and screened at A-list festivals around the world including the Berlinale and the Toronto Film Festival.
Tony Briggs
Tony Briggs is a Yorta Yorta/Wurundjeri (Woiwurrung) writer, director, producer, and actor, best known as the creator of the hit film The Sapphires, which had its international premier at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012. His award-winning career spans over two decades across stage and screen, with credits including Force of Nature: The Dry 2, The Newsreader, The Slap, and the Stan series Population 11.
Tony also co-created and wrote the acclaimed TV series The Warriors, and his directorial work includes the short film Elders, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.
He is the Artistic Director of Birrarangga Film Festival, showcasing Indigenous stories from around the world to audiences in Narrm (Melbourne), and continues to champion bold, culturally driven storytelling in every medium he touches.
Imogen Banks
Known for her work championing strong female characters and exploring complex narratives in a relatable way, Imogen has produced multiple acclaimed Australian series, including Offspring, RFDS, Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie, Tangle, Sisters, Party Tricks, and Gallipoli.
She founded independent production company Kindling Pictures, debuting with critically acclaimed SBS mini-series Safe Home. Kindling’s most recent project is the multi award-winning Fake, starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham, which premiered on Paramount+ and is the streamer’s most successful Australian drama launch to date.
Emma Slade
Owner of the prolific New Zealand-based film and television company, Firefly Films, Emma Slade is known for cultivating a diverse slate, with dynamic film makers and talented cast.
Emma’s latest film BOOKWORM, starring Elijah Wood, Nell Fisher and Michael Smiley, opened Fantasia International Film Festival in August 2024 winning the Audience Award for Best International Film.
Emma is in post-production on Natalie Boltt’s debut feature HOLY DAYS, starring Judy Davis, Jacki Weaver and Miriam Margolyes, while simultaneously in post-production on LOMU, an official UK/NZ co-production on the rugby superstar, Jonah Lomu.
Recent release UPROAR, starring Julian Dennison, Minnie Driver and Rhys Darby played on every screen in Aotearoa New Zealand, after premiering at TIFF to rave reviews. Simultaneously, MISTER ORGAN, New Zealand’s highest grossing feature documentary for 2022, has been picked up by Netflix and selected as New York Times Top Critic’s Pick.
Emma’s slate includes absurd comedy, NUDE TUESDAY, from director Armagan Ballantyne (Sydney Film Festival, Tribeca and Edinburgh), THE JUSTICE OF BUNNY KING (2021 Tribeca Film Festival) and COME TO DADDY, an NZ/Irish/Canadian official co-production, which premiered at Tribeca 2019. The film won Best Director (Ant Timpson) and Best Actor (Elijah Wood) at the Toronto After Dark Festival 2019.
In 2017, her young adult thriller THE CHANGEOVER starring Timothy Spall (Mr Turner) and Melanie Lynskey (The Intervention), was in competition at the Alice Nella Citta, Venice Film Festival. Earlier that year, Emma produced INTO THE RAINBOW, which was the first Chinese/NZ co-production, starring Willow Shields (Hunger Games) and the Brazilian/NZ feature LITTLE SECRET, which was nominated as Brazil’s Oscar entry for Best Foreign Film 2017.
Sharon Menzies
A preeminent figure within the film industry, Sharon has experience at the highest levels across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and has been financing cashflow solutions in film and television for producers for over 25 years.
Sharon’s newest venture, Hinterland, is the culmination of her experience, focusing on providing tailored and producer-friendly financing solutions for independent and creative producers in New Zealand and Australia, with unparalleled local rebate knowledge.
Prior to Hinterland, Sharon is most well known for her role in building Fulcrum Media Finance. During her tenure she provided over AUD $750 million in lending on over 450 projects without a single default. Earlier in her career, Sharon spent over
a decade in banking and finance across New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the Pacific, working with organisations such as Westpac Banking Corporation, BBC Worldwide and several UK-based media financiers. This experience provided a strong foundation in commercial lending, structured finance and governance,
which continues to underpin her approach to screen industry financing today.
A loyal industry advocate, Sharon’s experience extends to governance, with over 15 years in chair, board and advisory positions at the national level across Australasia. Most notably she was appointed to the board of the New Zealand Film Commission win April 2025.
Polly Fryer
Polly Fryer is a British-born, New Zealand-based producer acclaimed for her work across
documentary and scripted storytelling.
In 2025 she produced, true-crime docuseries Polk: The Trial of Philip Polkinghorne, a 3 part series for Warner Bros, Nine and Sky UK released to critical acclaim. The series is represented worldwide by Submarine Entertainment. Also in the same year feature documentary Mighty Indeed won best Film and best Director at the Oscar qualifying Doc Edge festival. In 2024, she produced the feature film We Were Dangerous which won the SXSW Special Jury Award, imagineNATIVE Best Dramatic feature, Best Women Film Series at San Diego International Film Festival, Best Youth Film at SCHLINGEL, Best Narrative Feature at Kerry, and the Pasifika Award in Hawaii. It also screened at eight major festivals, including NZIFF, Sydney, and Chicago. It’s currently in theatres across the US. She’s in post production on Andrew Niccol’s feature film I, Object, a high end indie film for a family audience starring Anna Farris and Karl Urban. It’s presold to 15 territories.
Other notable work includes animated series Badjelly, based on Spike Milligan’s classic children’s book, featuring a star-studded voice cast including Miriam Margolyes and Rhys Darby. It premiered on TVNZ in 2025 and has been brought by ITV for the UK. She was Supervising
Producer on Season 2 of the dystopian dark comedy series Creamerie (2023), which aired on
TVNZ and Hulu. She produced the Netflix Original Dark Tourist (2018) and The Day That Changed
My Life (2015), which won Best New Zealand Feature at the Documentary Edge Festival. Earlier in her career, she produced the Emmy-nominated docudrama The Golden Hour (2012).
Polly worked at Netflix in Los Angeles for two years as a Production and Post Executive,
contributing to global non-fiction content. She also served as Joint Head of Te Puna Kairangi, the Premium Productions for International Audiences Fund at the NZFC, supporting high-quality New Zealand stories for global audiences.
Matthew Metcalfe
Matthew Metcalfe is one of New Zealand’s leading independent film producers, with a 25-year career spanning feature film, television, and documentary. As founder of GFC Films, he’s known for bold, culturally resonant stories with global reach.
His credits include acclaimed films such as Whina, Ash, Dean Spanley, The Dead Lands (later adapted by AMC in a limited TV series), Love Birds, Beyond the Edge, 25 April, and 6 Days (Netflix). His documentaries include McLaren, Born Racer, Wayne, Dawn Raid, Mothers of the Revolution (Universal), and Capital in the 21st Century (StudioCanal).
Metcalfe’s work has premiered at major festivals including Toronto, Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, London, and Melbourne, cementing his international reputation. He was named Independent Producer of the Year at the 2013 SPADA Awards and received a Tui Award in 2002 for Che Fu’s Fade Away video. In 2024, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to film and television and in 2025 was appointed Adjunct Professor of Practice (Film) at the University of Canterbury.
Metcalfe remains a driving force in New Zealand’s screen industry, championing unique voices and stories that resonate worldwide.
Alex Reed
Alex Reed is a producer of bold, high quality documentary and drama content. She started her career working with Ken Loach on films including Land and Freedom, My Name is Joe and Bread & Roses. Since then she has written, researched or produced over thirty factual and drama projects.
Alex has a strong track record of producing films and television with impact including the hard-hitting Ms. Information, eco-feminist film Pacific Mother and female-focussed adventure epic, Te Ara – The Path (People’s choice award – NZ Mountain Film Festival, Finalist Banff Mountain Festival).
Her major credits include Leanne Pooley’s critically acclaimed intimate documentary The Girl on the Bridge, genre-bending feature, There’s No “I” in Threesome (HBO Max) and David Farrier’s box office hit, Mister Organ (Netflix). Alex has an active and vibrant slate of scripted and unscripted projects including Slavko Martinov’s upcoming film, Cats in Conflict.
Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa
Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa began his screen journey in television with current affairs show Tagata Pasifika and Pacific Island youth show Fresh. In 2015 he took the plunge into feature films with self-funded and self distributed feature film Three Wise Cousins (2016), a commercial success with over $2million worldwide at the box office.
He followed that by continuing to fund and distribute his next features Hibiscus & Ruthless (2018) and Take Home Pay (2019), and in 2020 to take advantage of the lack of films in the cinemas; Stallone and Producer Abba Rose created the Feature 30 Challenge – to make a feature film in 30 days, from ideation through to picture lock – that film was Mama’s Music Box – a Pacific Xmas film, released into cinemas in November 2020.
Jasmin McSweeney
Jasmin McSweeney leads on international and local acquisitions at Umbrella Entertainment, where she oversees theatrical and non-theatrical distribution, strategic acquisitions, and catalogue development in Aotearoa. She brings over a decade of experience across film marketing and release strategy, supporting projects from emerging voices and established auteurs alike.
In her current role, she is responsible for sourcing premium international content, negotiating rights, and shaping the ANZ marketing strategy while building the company’s New Zealand presence through partnerships, branding initiatives, and audience-centric positioning. Passionate about elevating distinctive storytelling for New Zealand audiences, she remains committed to championing bold, original cinema across the region.
Jason Burrows
Jason Burrows started Jungle with a small house plant in his apartment. It is now one of Australia’s most dynamic production companies with a solid track record of international success. Jason’s Executive Producer television credits include Sunny Nights (upcoming Stan series), Population 11 (Stan), Wakefield (ABC), No Activity (the original and the US remake), Mr Inbetween (FX), Squinters (ABC) and Sando (ABC) as well as Here Come the Habibs (Nine Network), A Moody Christmas (ABC), its sequel The Moodys (ABC), and The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting (ABC). In the factual sector, his credits include Big Deal, Between a Frock and a Hard Place (ABC) and the comedy documentary The Super Dave Odyssey (Network Ten).
Sue Maslin AO
Sue is one of Australia’s most successful screen producers. Her feature The Dressmaker (2015) grossed more than $20m and became one of Australia’s biggest box office smash hits. Other feature credits include Road to Nhill, Japanese Story, winner of 2003 AFI Award for Best Film, Dominick Dunne: After the Party and Hunt Angels, winner of the 2006 AFI Award for Best Feature Documentary Film.
Sue is Adjunct Professor at RMIT’s School of Media & Communication and a recognised industry leader. Sue was the inaugural recipient of the Jill Robb Award for Outstanding Leadership, Achievement and Service to the Victorian Screen Industry and currently serves as President of the Natalie Miller Fellowship reflecting her ongoing commitment to gender diversity both on and off screen.
Tania Chambers OAM
Producer and Executive Producer, Tania Chambers is currently producing the television series Invisible Boys as a Stan Original series, distributed worldwide by Banijay Rights. Tania most recently produced the feature film How to Please a Woman directed by Rene?e Webster, which was released worldwide in 2022. Tania also produced the first series of action-adventure children’s series Itch for ABC Australia, the comedy feature A Few Less Men directed by Mark Lamprell and the comedic thriller Kill Me Three Times directed by Kriv Stenders, along with the award-winning documentary Making Waves and short films. Tania founded Feisty Dame Productions in 2012.
Tania is a current Board Member of Screen Australia and was formerly Chief Executive of Screen NSW and Screenwest, and a Member of the Gender Matters Taskforce. Tania received the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the Arts and to Film and Television in 2016 and an Honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts from ECU in 2022.
Andrew Mackie
Andrew Mackie has worked in the Australian and New Zealand film industry for over 35 years as a distributor, marketer, and executive producer with a focus on independent cinema. He began his career in 1987 as an Assistant Film Programmer at Greater Union and later joined Ronin Films, where he formed a lasting partnership with Richard Payten.
In 1993, Mackie and Payten co-founded The Globe Film Co., handling publicity and marketing for films such as Trainspotting and Four Weddings and a Funeral, while acquiring acclaimed titles like Secrets & Lies, Lost Highway, Dead Man and The Tracker. Globe was acquired by Becker Entertainment in 2001, where Mackie and Payten became Joint Managing Directors, releasing films like The Motorcycle Diaries and Good Night, and Good Luck. He also co-founded MovieMeasure, pioneering audience research for Australian films.
In 2007, Mackie co-founded Transmission Films, distributing Palme d’Or winners and Oscar-nominated films like Lion, Brooklyn and The King’s Speech. Mackie has served on the boards of the Adelaide Film Festival and Screen Canberra and is also a published author, with his debut novel The Tour released in 2021.
Rainmakers is Produced in Partnership with:
